by Cherrie Lynn
“Seth, I didn’t mean—”
His cell phone took that moment to come to life, blaring what even she knew was AC/DC’s “Big Balls”. Why he’d chosen that as Brian’s ringtone, she didn’t know and didn’t dare ask.
The mood shattered as Seth answered the call. Macy inwardly cursed Brian’s timing and refocused on the long road ahead, tightening her grip on the steering wheel, heart thudding dully. Despite her exhaustion, suddenly she’d never felt more awake.
She needed to get a grip, so maybe Brian’s timing wasn’t so bad after all. Seth was in the middle of a family crisis. Now wasn’t the time to add her conflicted emotions to his turmoil, no matter how they begged for her to express them. She would be there to comfort him until her friends came, and then she would leave and let him deal with his grief. When he came back, maybe they could pick up where they left off.
Her body still tingled with aftereffects of last night’s sex marathon, and being in this car, with its backseat, was no help. At all. No wonder she was frazzled. She’d probably never be able to ride in this vehicle without thinking of that first encounter many months ago.
The very fact she’d met up with him that night was telling—the first crack in her cautious outer shell. She still didn’t know what had come over her, but when she ran into him at the sushi bar and he asked if she wanted to hang out later, her “yes” had been immediate.
Loneliness? Boredom? Maybe both, maybe a lot more. Candace had just begun messing around with Brian, Sam had Michael, and Macy had…no one.
Nothing had happened, at least not that night. They’d only talked. She hadn’t lied to her friend when Candace grilled her about it a few days later, but she’d tried damn hard to hide the disappointment she’d felt—disappointment she tried to talk herself out of. As bad an idea as the whole thing was, she hadn’t been able to help herself. Surely this edgy, razor-witted, dangerous-looking guy had more in mind for her than hanging out.
As it turned out, it hadn’t taken long for him to show her.
She glanced over at him now, found that he’d finally settled down after hanging up with Brian and appeared to be dozing with his hood drawn over his head. Good. She let the memories of their second meet-up engulf her.
The way he hadn’t kissed her mouth. She’d gone in for the move first—imagine that—and he’d grasped her chin and grazed the side of her neck with his lips…oh, those lips…before scoring lightly with his teeth. She would never, could never forget that. It had been so disconcerting and wildly erotic for him to deny her the taste of him when she was starving for it. He’d had her without another modicum of effort.
After that one intensely vivid moment, the rest was a blur of pleasure. Of desire trumping dignity. Probably good that she couldn’t recall the exact things he’d gotten her to say or the positions he’d had her in so he could get to her in the cramped confines. The degree of difficulty had only made it that much hotter.
He gave her the best sex of her life. But that wasn’t something they could build a relationship on. It should be a perk, not the foundation.
Things like this, though. Being there for each other through crises. Caring. She had no doubt she could call him for anything and he’d be there, even before today. That’s what it was all about, right? And they had that going for them too.
She didn’t want to end up like Raina. That thought terrified her more than anything. He could be making the girl sound worse than she was, but Macy had witnessed the crazy firsthand, and she seemed ruined over him. When he was done giving Macy all the addictive sex she could handle, would he then cut her loose too? Would he stick by her if they faced something major and life-changing?
“Having her back” for a favor every now and then was a damn sight different than having it forever.
She wanted forever with someone. She was ready for forever. Please, God, don’t let me be wasting my time.
Chapter Sixteen
“Oh, what the fuck.”
Seth’s voice yanked Macy from a fitful sleep…if what she was doing could be called that. She never could get comfortable or relaxed enough in a car to fully achieve it. Whatever the case, he startled her so that she was upright and wide awake almost before the final k left his lips.
By all appearances, it was early afternoon, and he was nudging the GTO to the curb on a quiet-looking street lined with quiet-looking houses. They had made it to his sister’s, presumably. And he wasn’t happy.
“What’s wrong?”
“That.” He pointed through the windshield at the shiny black Tahoe with Texas plates parked in front of them. “That is my sorry motherfucker of a brother.”
“Oh. You didn’t think he’d come?”
“Why the hell would he? He hasn’t done shit so far; why start now?”
“Well…” At a loss and a grave disadvantage, Macy fumbled for something encouraging to say and gave up. Nothing her sleepy brain could conjure would magically undo what appeared to be years of animosity. “I’m sorry.”
“I can’t believe Steph didn’t give me the heads-up he was here.”
“Maybe she didn’t think you’d come if she did.”
“I wouldn’t have. I’d have at least gone straight to the hospital like I wanted to in the first place. If she’s got some kind of family reunion kiss-and-make-up shit in mind, she can hang it up.”
Here was an angle she could take, maybe. “You’re her brothers. She needs you both. Whatever’s in the past, put it aside for her and your grandmother. You all need each other now.”
“I need that asshole like I need—”
“Yes, everyone knows that. Listen to what I said, please? Am I not right?”
He hadn’t killed the engine yet. He could still dart away and avoid this altogether…for now, at least. He’d have to face it sooner or later. She could see the calculations going on behind his eyes. And the pain. Maybe leaving right now would be for the best. She didn’t like it, but the last thing she wanted to get caught up in was drama in an unfamiliar family. Sam and Candace were only a couple hours behind them, maybe three. If Seth’s driving away right now would keep the peace until her friends could get here and rescue her, hell, she should be all for it.
“Whatever you want to do,” she told him quietly.
He deflated. His brief nap had invigorated him enough that he’d seemed okay when they swapped driving duties at the state line, but now she watched the lingering exhaustion take hold of him, absolutely sapping what remaining energy he had left. Reaching up, he turned the key off. Everything about the motion seemed like a slow defeat.
What could be as bad as that? What was waiting for him in there?
“Maybe you should clue me in a little?”
“Macy, I honestly don’t have the strength right now. You’ll find out soon enough.”
Adequately mystified, she turned her attention to the pretty white frame house beyond the small but meticulously landscaped yard to their right. As she watched, a blonde woman stepped out onto the porch with a toddler on her hip, waved and descended the steps. The same woman from the pictures at his house.
Seth popped open his door, and Macy followed suit, getting out and trailing him up the walkway. She stood without speaking while he and his sister embraced as best they could around his nephew—who was adorable—and then stepped forward into Seth’s reach when he turned back and held his arm out toward her.
“Macy, sister. Sister, Macy.”
“Stephanie,” the other woman supplied. To Macy’s surprise, she rushed forward and pulled her into a one-armed hug too. “Thank you so much for coming with him.”
“It was no problem, really. I’m sorry about your nana.” Despite the somberness of the exchange, she had to chuckle as the little boy on Steph’s hip grabbed her hair in a death grip, and Steph joined in her laughter as she worked to extricate her.
“I never have that problem,” Seth deadpanned as Macy came free. He rubbed the shadow on his shaved head in demonstration.
“Hold up. You could’ve warned me he was here, you know. I mean…dammit, Steph.”
“Are you being serious? Don’t you think it’s time you got over it?”
“No, I fucking don’t. That’s not some shit you just get over.”
“Jesus, Seth, you have a beautiful, obviously wonderful angel of a girl right here.” Macy nearly jumped backward when Stephanie indicated her with a sweep of her free arm. What the hell did she have to do with anything? “So what does it even matter anymore?”
It all clicked into place. Oh, God. It was over a girl. Some other girl. Macy shifted uncomfortably, more convinced than ever this had been a very, no, excruciatingly bad idea.
“I don’t give a fuck about the girl. What I give a f—” He seemed to catch himself when Steph smacked his arm and jerked her head toward his nephew. “What I care about is that I’m blood related to someone who’d even do that sh—stuff. You should take note, you know. If he’ll screw me, he’ll screw you.”
Steph sighed with weary resignation. “I’m sure we won’t have to deal with him for long. Once it’s all over, he’ll disappear again. Just play nice for now, please?”
“I guess she’s here too?”
“She’s here.”
“If he starts up with me, I’m gone.”
“Fine. Fair enough.” His sister turned and went up the steps. Seth looked at Macy, who stared back with something akin to panic as the screen door banged shut.
“This is about some girl?” she hissed at him. “Thanks a lot for warning me.”
“It’s…” He shook his head and turned, clomping up the steps. Practically leaving her standing there. “It’s just fucked up.” As she considered bolting for his car and jacking it all the way back to Texas, he stopped and looked back at her. “I didn’t expect all this, you know. If I had, you wouldn’t be here. I’m sorry.”
If he was trying to encourage her, he was failing miserably…but he wasn’t trying, she decided as he pulled open the screen door and stared at her expectantly. He had closed down, turned off. She’d watched it happen in the car. It wasn’t exhaustion—or it wasn’t only exhaustion. It was emotional shutdown. The grimness she’d only seen flashes of since he’d come back had overtaken all remaining good humor in his features.
Whatever this was, he definitely wasn’t over it by now. Where did that leave her?
Aching like hell, that was what. It hurt. Anger bubbled up, but as she’d told herself in the car, she had to get a grip. Now wasn’t the time, and she’d be going home blessedly soon. Maybe she’d have a good long while to step back and mull it over while he stayed here. Just a couple more hours. Hang in there.
She brushed past Seth into the house as he held the door for her, almost afraid of what she would find. No one was in the living room, but voices drifted in from what must be the kitchen up ahead. She waited for Seth to come in and lead the way, wiping her damp palms on her jeans.
And stopped in her tracks.
A man had stepped into the doorway…and he could’ve been Seth himself, only…well, with hair. Just as he’d looked in that picture at his house. Identical.
Freaking twins. God, there were two of him?
Only this guy was another animal entirely. His clothes were expensive. Not a rip or tear or even a worn spot in those starched jeans, and what skin she could see on his arms carried no trace of ink.
Wow. Just…fucking wow.
Seth greeted him, shook hands with him, but he did so coolly. Macy was waiting for her own introduction—his name was Scott, wasn’t it?—when a very tall, very beautiful blonde came in behind Seth’s brother and took her place beside him. She wore slim black pants and a flowing blue top that did nothing to hide the fact she was also very pregnant.
Macy felt Seth freeze up beside her. If that were even possible given the tension already coming off him in waves. Had he not known?
“Seth,” the blonde said, “how have you been?”
“I’ve been great. I see you’re…doing well.”
She dropped a delicate hand—her left hand, big sparkling rock on her finger—to her swollen belly and laughed as Scott settled his arm around her shoulders. “I guess if you can call this ‘well’.”
“Yeah, you…look great.”
“Doesn’t she?” Scott asked. “Brooke’s the hottest little mama around.” He nuzzled her ear and she giggled.
Brooke. Brooke?
The Brooke?
Oh, hell no.
Forget Seth acting a fool; Macy herself was ready to launch at this guy’s throat on his behalf. Fucked up, he’d said. Yeah, that was an understatement. This was all kinds of fucked up.
And now the twin-brother-hopping Brooke was pregnant, and apparently, Seth hadn’t known.
Through the rushing in her ears, she was vaguely aware the conversation went stiltedly on. How humiliated must he be for Macy to see this? She wanted to get him out of here, because he was going through enough, and now he had to face this too. Everything she’d told him in the car was off the table. They definitely should not have come here.
But for God’s sake, he could have told her. He could have trusted her that much. Though if the tables were reversed, could she have done the same?
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?” Scott was saying. Macy snapped out of her funk, realizing she’d let herself stand back ignored for too long. She was opening her mouth to reply when Seth opened his. Oh, did he ever open it.
“I don’t know. Is it safe?”
Macy had the irrational thought that the elephant in the room had just surged forward and trumpeted and trampled everything in its path. The painful, forced formality towered into full-blown hostility as Scott glared at Seth with a look that could burn through steel and Brooke dropped her gaze to the floor. Stephanie entered the room cautiously at their backs, looking ready to throw herself between the four of them if need be.
Macy stuck her hand out practically in Scott’s face. “Macy Rodgers. Very nice to meet you.”
He blinked and looked at her, taking her hand briefly. “Scott Warren. You too.”
She swung her hand to the blonde. “Brooke, was it?”
Looking relieved, she nodded and shook also, but Macy didn’t miss the tremor in her hands. “Brooke Warren.”
“So nice to meet you too. How far along are you?”
“Seven months.”
“Wow.” She gave Seth’s arm a backhanded smack. “I hope I look that good when I’m seven months.”
Brooke looked confused. “Oh, are you…?”
“God, no. Just, you know, someday.” She linked her arm through Seth’s and beamed up at him. A hint of a smile played around his lips as he stared back.
“O-of course,” the other girl stammered.
“Listen, I’m about to fall down from exhaustion, let’s go sit and—”
Stephanie, who had just begun to breathe again, jumped all over Macy’s suggestion. “Yes! Let’s all sit down for a few minutes. Seth, Macy, I have drinks and snacks out for you guys. You must be starving. You can freshen up, and we’ll go see Nana.”
“Any change?” Seth asked. “I’d rather not wait.”
“I know, sweetie, but she’s stable. Let’s take care of you first.” She bustled them into the kitchen like the mother hen Seth had said she was. Macy didn’t miss the mouthed “thank you” she sent her way as they took places around the dining room table and a smorgasbord of chips and sandwiches and drinks.
It was still awkward, and that awful tightness continued to hang in the air, but the fear that violence might erupt at any moment slowly ebbed. The situation had been addressed. Scott seemed to know Seth hadn’t forgotten and wasn’t going to forgive. The two of them hardly loo
ked at each other, spoke even less. Macy, Brooke and Stephanie carried what conversation there was.
Under the table, she sought out Seth’s hand, held it tight. He didn’t eat. His constant fidgeting and checking his watch plainly said he didn’t want to be here, and Macy couldn’t help thinking if she wasn’t here, he would get in his car and go to the hospital, where he wanted to be. She was holding him up.
Leaning over, she put her mouth close to his ear. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
He nodded and stood, pulling her with him, telling the others they’d be back. They walked out front to where his car was parked, Macy crossing her arms against the chill the weak late-February sun couldn’t eliminate. A headache was blossoming at the back of her skull and she pulled out her ponytail holder. For a moment they were silent as cars passed on the street and a group of kids biked by them. She barely even knew where to begin.
“I’m sorry. If you want to go, let’s go,” she said at last. “Sam and Candace can pick me up at the hospital.”
“It’s all right. I friggin’ hate hospitals, and I’m sure you do too, so no reason to subject you to that. Are you cold?” He made a move to unzip his hoodie, but she stopped him.
“I’m fine. And really, it’s not a big deal. But Seth? I so wish you’d warned me what I was walking into.”
The look on his face said she didn’t need to tell him that. “Fucked up, right? You handled it like a champ, though. Thank you for that.”
She gave him a little smile and flipped her hair back in an I-ain’t-scared gesture. He chuckled. “So I guess you don’t want to talk about it now, either,” she said.
“Well, it’s out there. You got any questions, shoot.”
“I take it this girl… How did it go? Was there a competition for her between you and your brother, or what?”
“I guess there was, only I didn’t know about it. She left me for him. It’s been…Christ, almost seven years. They took the pussy way out, practically disappeared into the night together, and I hadn’t laid eyes on either of them since. Until today. Had no idea she’s pregnant.”